LongEx Mainframe Quarterly – Aug/Sep 2026
We are pleased to announce the latest quarterly update from our valued partner, Longpela Expertise, providing critical insights into z/OS system symbols: A Rabbit Hole With Symbols This edition, we thought we’d do an article about z/OS system symbols. As we dived deeper into this ‘rabbit hole’, it was clear that this was going to […]
Global Investment Bank Operationalizes Data Center Rotation and Mainframe Resiliency
The Challenge A leading global financial institution needed to evolve from traditional disaster recovery testing to a repeatable operational capability: continuously rotating production processing between primary and secondary data centers. Supporting a complex mainframe environment under strict regulatory mandates, the bank faced key technical and logistical challenges: The bank engaged CPT Global to refine its […]
Modernizing Mainframe Output Management for a Leading Global Retailer
Challenge A leading global retailer needed to replace a business-critical mainframe output management platform before reaching a costly software renewal milestone. The existing solution supported essential operational processes, making the migration both a technical and business priority. With a fixed delivery window and no room for disruption, a smooth transition was required to maintain business […]
Bridging the Gap: Performance, Capacity and AI in the Mainframe Era
In a recent webinar with 21CS, CPT Global’s David Stephens, Senior z/OS Consultant, joined Josh Stiles for a discussion about some of the biggest challenges facing IBM Z organizations today. The conversation focused on three key areas: improving performance and capacity visibility, addressing the ongoing mainframe skills shortage, and understanding where AI can provide real […]
LongEx Mainframe Quarterly: Mainframe Secrets
Our partner, Longpela Expertise, has just released the latest edition of their mainframe ezine, which is packed with insights every mainframe professional should read. This issue dives deep into mainframe secrets: where they are hidden, who keeps them, and why they matter. Here is a sneak peek at what’s inside this edition: Management: z/OS Secrets […]
Managing Unsupported Software in Mainframe Environments
Almost all mainframe sites will have some unsupported software: software with no support from a vendor. This means no bug fixes, no security updates, and no guarantee that the software will work as it is designed or advertised to do. This sounds like a problem. It is best practice to ensure software is supported, especially […]
A Sustainable Mainframe Starts with the Right Delivery Model
The IBM Z mainframe continues to underpin some of the world’s most critical business processes. For most organisations, the question is no longer whether the platform is necessary. Instead, the real challenge is how to sustain it at a predictable cost, without increasing operational or delivery risk. The market pressures are well understood. Experienced mainframe […]
The Unseen Mainframe Taxes Draining Your Enterprise
Tax Day is finally here, but for many IT leaders the “filing” season never ends. If your mainframe software renewal is going to land like an unexpected bill from the IRS, you already know the feeling our CEO Luke Tuddenham described in his January article. What most executives miss, however, are the unseen taxes. These […]
Why the Mainframe Skills Gap is the Blind Spot in AI’s Future
Over the past several months, I’ve spoken with leaders across industries, and one key challenge has surfaced repeatedly. It’s not about AI – we’re all on board with what it can deliver. It’s about the infrastructure that supports it. More specifically, it’s about the quiet crisis brewing under our feet: the mainframe skills gap. Mainframes […]
The Mainframe Tax: A Hidden Drain on Your Enterprise – And How to Break It
IT executives know the mainframe isn’t going anywhere. But let’s be honest: renewal season has started to feel less like a routine check-in and more like a recurring tax bill. You’re not alone if you’ve noticed this same pattern across banking, insurance, telco, and elsewhere. Contracts that used to feel negotiable are now shorter, firmer, […]
